Constant pressure watch back remover



Dec. 26, 1967 R. G. MILLER 3,

I CONSTANT PRESSURE WATCH BACK REMOVER Filed Feb. '7, 1966 FIG. 2

FIG. 4

F l 64A FIG. 3

l N V EN TOR. ROY G. MILLER United States Patent 3,359,839 CONSTANT PRESSURE WATCH BACK REMOVER Roy G. Miller, Canton, NC. 28776 Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 526,018

, 2 Claims. (Cl. 81-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Tool for removing and/or replacing screw-type watch backs comprising in combination: a base, an anvil on the base and including a watch receiving and positioning means on said lanvil, a generally L-shaped arm mounted on the base and with a portion overlying the anvil, a screw drive in a threaded bore of said arm, a sliding chuck and means interconnecting said screw drive and said chuck, a jewellers wrench for releasably engaging the watch backs and drivingly connected to the sliding chuck.

This invention relates to an improved tool for use in removing and replacing screw-on type watch backs or the like and has for its primary object to provide a sufficient amount of constant pressure, without any slipping, to loo-sen and remove or to replace and tighten the watch black thereby preventing and eliminating scratching and marring of the watch case or watch back.

It is another object of the invention to provide'a device for the above purpose whereby a torque-wrench may be utilized in conjunction with the device so that a precise and specified amount of tightening pressure may be exerted when loosening, separating, replacing and/or tightening the watch back.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a tool for use in loosening, separating, replacing and/or tightening any device consisting of two body parts joined together by precision screw-eand-threads said loosening or tightening operations being accomplished without slipping and resultant damage to the joined parts.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel arrangement together as a tool of a screw block located perpendicularly, by means of a frame, over an anvil which is provided with means for securing the watch case, and a manually-operated drive screw within the screw block having on its lower end a device for engaging appropriate socket wrenches which engage the lugs or sides of the watch back, all to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my constant pressure watch back remover.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the watch back remover.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the anvil employed in said remover.

FIGURE 3A is a top of the anvil of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the chuck.

FIGURE 4A is a top view of the chuck of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of the jewellers wrench.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 19 indicates the frame or arm mounted perpendicular to the base 18, to the upper end of the frame 19 is afiixed the screwblock 2, inside of which operates the drive screw 3 which is manually turned by the handwheel 1, or torquewrench 1A. The lower section of the drive screw 3 is machined square and is fitted with a spring loaded ball 5 which can engage the hole 6 in the sliding chuck 4, and the extreme lower end of the drive screw 3 is machined into a centering pin 7 which brings about e asy alignment of the drive screw 3 with the positioning hole 8 in the drive washer (upper end) 9A.

The upper end of the drive washer 9A is machined square to the same dimensions as the square lower portion of drive screw 3.

Sliding chuck 4 has a square bore to mate with the square lower portion of drive screw 3 .and the top of drive washer 9A.

The lower portion 9B of the drive washer may be of several sizes, one for each different size jewellers wrench 10 which is soldered to the drive washer 9A.

The receiver 13 is of several sizes to suit each watch 11 and is machined to provide a shoulder to accept the rim surrounding the watch crystal and to provide circular depression 14 to accept the watch winding stem 12.

The receiver 13 is placed over the centering pin 20 on the anvil 16 and the pins 15 inserted in the holes 17 provided in the surface of the anvil 16 to engage against the watchband lugs on the watch. Plural holes 17 are provided in the :anvil to accommodate various watches having watch band lugs of differing size.

With the watch 11 lying face down in receiver 13 and the watch winding stem 12 resting in the depression 14 of the receiver, the protruding watchband lugs of the watch impinge against the pins 14 and rotation of the watch 11 and receiver 13 is prevented.

The jewellers Wrench 10, located on the lower side of the drive washer is placed upon the back of the watch so that lugs 21 of the Wrench 10 engage the flat sides of the rim of the back of the watch. The drive screw 3, with the sliding chuck 4 in its up position so that the springloaded ball 5 engages the receiver hole 6 in the sliding collar 4 and retains the sliding collar in its upper position, is then rotated downward by means of the handwheel 1 until the drive screw centering pin 7 engages and inserts into the positioning hole 8 in the top of the drive washer 9A. The drive screw 3 is then again rotated downward until the square sides of the lower portion thereof align with the square sides of the top of the drive washer 9A and sufficient downward pressure is exerted against the back of the watch so that the wrench is firmly engaged. When such alignment occurs, and the downward pressure is deemed sufiicient, the sliding chuck 4 is manually disengaged from the spring-loaded retaining ball 5 by a gentle downward hand pressure and the entire sliding chuck assembly 4 is lowered onto and over the square top of the driving washer 9A, thus coupling the drive screw 3 and the drive washer 9A together.

The drive screw 3 is then rotated in the opposite direction by means of the handwheel 1 (or substituted torquewrench 1A) until the back of the watch is loosened sufficiently to permit further removal by hand.

To accomplish replacement of the watch back, the back is initially engaged in the threads by hand, the watch then placed face down in the receiver, the wrench and drive washer placed on the back, the drive screw lowered until engagement of the drive screw and drive washer occurs, the sliding chuck lowered for engagement and tightening accomplished by turning the drive screw by means of the handwheel 1, or if precise tightening according to the manufacturers specifications is desired, by substituting a torque-wrench 1A for the handwheel.

It should be clearly understood that the tool of the invention is not restricted in any manner to the sole function of loosening or tightening backs of watches or time pieces in general but may, by altering the shape of wrench 10 and receiver 14, accommodate any two pieces which are joined together by machined threads.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, and the several advantages of the tool will be clearly and fully understood. The tool as applied in the jewellers trade would be small in size, e.g., six inches in height with a base eight inches square and a drive screw. However, for other particular uses the tool could be manufactured larger or smaller to suit.

The tool is built of steel or other similar material and would be very durable. The jewellers wrenches described are common in the trade and may easily be aflixed to the inexpensive drive washer 9 by soldering. Although most watches are fitted with backs which are polygonal or provided with regularly-spaced lug holes which mate with ordinary jewellers wrenches, a few watch cases have no provision to aid in removing the back; in such cases, a rubber disc in the manner of a suction cup may be attached to the drive washer in lieu of the Wrench. The constant pressure available through my invention combined with the torque permits this type of watch back to be removed with ease.

It is also feasible to substitute for the common jewellers wrench a modified version of the universally-adjustable watch back vise in use in the trade. The combined pressure-torque available with my invention would eliminate the slipping and twisting-off which usually is present when this universal vise is used manually.

The receivers 13 are inexpensive stampings. The entire tool is simple in construction and should last an indefinite period of time.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a constant pressure extractor for use in loosening, ing, tightening, removing and replacing screw-type watch backs; a base; an anvil on said base; watch receiving means on said anvil adapted to receive a watch with the face thereof directed downwardly, said receiving means having a depression therein for receiving a watch stem; upwardly extending pin means on said anvil for engaging watch band lugs; .a generally L-shaped arm mounted on said base and having a threaded bore therein in vertical alignment with the center of said anvil; a drive screw in said threaded bore having rotating means on the upper end thereof; a sliding chuck; means drivingly interconnecting said drive screw and said chuck; a drive washer connected to said chuck; a. jewellers wrench having means thereon for rele-asably engaging screw-type watch backs and drivingly connected to said drive washer, whereby upon initially rotating said drive screw, the said wrench attached thereto moves into engagement with the back of a Watch positioned in said receiving means and upon further rotation thereof torque is applied to the back of said watch and the sliding chuck permitting limited axial movement of said wrench.

2. The tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the upwardly extending pin means on said anvil can -be outwardly or inwardly adjusted to accommodate watches having lugs of diifering size.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,828,655 4/1958 Pyle 81-6 2,993,394 7/1961 Scott 81-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 811,819 8/1951 Germany. 945,126 11/ 1948 France. 966,341 3/1950 France.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONSTANT PRESSURE EXTRACTOR FOR USE IN LOOSENING, ING, TIGHTENING, REMOVING AND REPLACING SCREW-TYPE WATCH BACKS; A BASE; AN ANVIL ON SAID BASE; WATCH RECEIVING MEANS ON SAID ANVIL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WATCH WITH THE FACE THEREOF DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY, SAID RECEIVING MEANS HAVING A DEPRESSION THEREIN FOR RECEIVING A WATCH STEM; UPWARDLY EXTENDING PIN MEANS ON SAID ANVIL FOR ENGAGING WATCH BAND LUGS; A GENERALLY L-SHAPED ARM MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND HAVING A THREADED BORE THEREIN IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE CENTER OF SAID ANVIL; A DRIVE SCREW IN SAID THREADED BORE HAVING ROTATING MEANS ON THE UPPER END THEREOF; A SLIDING CHUCK; MEANS DRIVINGLY INTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE SCREW AND SAID CHUCK; A DRIVE WASHER CONNECTED TO SAID CHUCK; A JEWELLER''S WRENCH HAVING MEANS THEREON FOR RELEASABLY ENGAGING SCREW-TYPE WATCH BACKS AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE WASHER, WHEREBY UPON INITIALLY ROTATING SAID DRIVE SCREW, THE SAID WRENCH ATTACHED 